Speech Course Research Articles

A case for humanizing behavioral objectives

The purpose of this study is to examine the cognitive and affective responses of students to behavioral objectives for a unit of instruction in a basic speech communication course. The findings indicate that (a) student affective reactions to the instructional process serve as an intervening variable, one usually neglected in the study of behavioral objectives, and (b) in instructional situations when training in the use of behavioral objectives is not possible, students function as well with key concepts as they would with highly specific objectives. Two means of humanizing objectives are suggested: (1) personalizing the language of instructional objectives and (2) focusing on the process rather than the product of learning.

The performance appraisal interview and evaluation of student performances in speech communication courses

The performance appraisal interview can be applied to evaluation of student speeches and other performances. Selecting ideas from authorities on organizational management, the article describes three methods of conducting the appraisal interview, discusses the merits of the three methods of evaluating student performances, and offers suggestions for implementing the preferred third method, the Problem‐Solving approach.

The basic speech communication course: Establishing minimal oral competencies and exemption procedures

An approach is presented to define oral communication competency, with a report of a project to measure “minimal competency” in cognitive and behavioral/performance dimensions of oral communication. Included are a taxonomy of sample competencies for the basic course and an approach to criterion‐referenced measurement. Implications are made for achieving the designated competencies through several basic courses which have similar desired learning outcomes but employ appropriate and unique activities to achieve the behavioral goals.

Dimensions of Rosenburg's self-esteem scale.

The dimensions of Rosenburg's scale of self-esteem (1965) were investigated via principal components and oblique factor analysis. Data from 479 students in a basic speech course yielded a two-factor solution. As the two factors appeared to identify only a response set, it was concluded the scale was unidimensional.

Interviews in the basic speech course

Interviews in the basic speech course

Relationships among four parameters of speaker evaluation: Speech skill, source credibility, subjective speech anxiety, and behavioral speech anxiety

Measures of four parameters were obtained on 21 male and 21 female students near the beginning and end of a fundamentals of speech course. Both male and female speakers appraised as demonstrating a higher degree of initial speech skill were also perceived as more credible, and as exhibiting less behavioral speech anxiety. These same three parameters improved in males but not in females, improvements being positively intercor‐related in several instances.

A unit in feedback utilization for basic college speech courses

On the basis of the research finding that knowledge of feedback utilization and consequent implementation of adaptive strategies is a significant asset to the confidence and fluency of a speaker, this report describes a unit in feedback utilization for the basic college speech course. It also develops the theoretical foundations from which the pedagogical strategies of the unit emerge.

A basic speech communication course for community college technical career students: A structural design

Traditional structural designs of the basic speech communication course have not met the professional needs of the technical career student. The alternative model presented in this essay will enable the student to pursue, through independent study and small group interaction, those concepts and skills which will aid her/him professionally. This design offers solutions to staffing and scheduling problems faced by community colleges, and provides a structural format for facilitating the education of technical career students.

A comparison of in vivo methods for rapid reduction of “stage-fright” in the college classroom: A field experiment

Forty-seven speech-anxious college students in introductory speech courses were treated for performance anxiety by participating in one of four conditions: (1) talking and giving speeches in situations that gradually increased in difficulty (successive approximation); (2) performing repeatedly at a difficult speech task ( in vivo flooding); (3) performing repeatedly in a situation calculated to be more difficult than the eventual test situation (implosive practice); and (4) group discussion regarding their anxiety over giving speeches (attention placebo). In three of the four conditions, i.e., successive approximation, implosive practice and attention placebo, half of the subjects were graded by their instructors on their preand post-test speeches. Subjects in all three treatment conditions improved significantly more than those in the placebo condition on both behavioral and self-report measures. In vivo flooding was shown to be significantly more effective than successive approximation and implosive practice on the behavioral measure. Non-graded subjects indicated significantly more change than graded subjects on the self-report measure. Implications for various desensitization procedures and for treatment of speech anxiety are discussed.

The status of communication studies in British higher education

Through questionnaires, interviews, and library research, the authors attempted to identify speech communication courses and programs in British institutions of higher education. They discuss the development of interest in speech communication courses in the context of current trends in higher education. Conclusions indicate a quickening interest in speech communication and related courses, usually under the heading of “communication studies.” There is considerable variety in course titles, content, and departmental responsibility, with interesting emphases and omissions from the American academic viewpoint.

The effects of basic speech course training on ability to role‐play an employment interview

The effects of basic speech course training on ability to role‐play an employment interview

Commercially‐available games for speech communication courses

One method of varying classroom procedures is the use of games. This article indexes appropriate games for nine areas of speech communication and gives information on sources, cost, time required to play, grade level, number of players involved, and a brief description of each game.

A re‐examination of the first course in speech at U.S. colleges and universities

This investigation replicates a nationwide survey of the basic course in speech conducted five years ago. Results indicate a decided tendency to report a “communication” or “multiple” orientation toward the teaching of the course. Enrollments generally continue to be held at reasonable levels, and the growth in the basic speech communication course is paralleling or exceeding the growth of the college itself.

A study of variables influencino self‐concept and ideal self‐concept among students in the basic speech course

The purpose of this study was to determine whether students' self‐concepts or ideal self‐concepts were different at the beginning and the end of a basic speech course, and whether any revealed differences were related to the sex of the student and to the total discrepancy between self‐concept and ideal self‐concept. Subjects demonstrated initial differences on the variables of sex and levels of total discrepancy. While most students maintained a fairly stable ideal self‐concept during the semester, both males and females tended to increase self‐concept. Significant differences in the subjects' final scores were related to the variables of sex and total discrepancy.

A survey of small group activities used in beginning speech courses

A survey of 297 faculty teaching beginning speech in American colleges and universities in 1970–71 indicated that small group activities were frequently part of the course. Forty‐two per cent of the faculty used small group techniques to teach units in speech other than small group communication, while 30 per cent of the teachers taught a unit on small group theory. Traditional public discussions and a variety of problem‐solving and interpersonal interaction activities were part of the courses surveyed.

Student evaluation of college and university speech communication courses and faculty: A survey

Student evaluation of college and university speech communication courses and faculty: A survey

Effects of three feedback conditions employing videotape and audiotape on acquired speech skill

Students from a university Fundamentals of Speech course were randomly assigned to three groups for outside‐of‐class electronic feedback of within‐class speeches: (1) videotape replay, (2) audiotape replay, and (3) control. During the semester, all subjects received traditional feedback from their instructors and peers. Nine trained judges provided highly reliable ratings of videotape recordings of all subjects’ pretreatment and posttreatment speeches using the multi‐dimensional Price speech skill measurement instrument. Analyses indicated that all groups showed significant improvement during the course. However, in final speeches, videotape subjects demonstrated significantly greater speech skill than audiotape subjects; no differences were found between audiotape and control subjects.

Programmed instruction of organization of ideas in the basic speech communication course

This article compares traditional methods of instruction on the organization of ideas with both linear and branching programmed methods. In view of the increasing demands on the basic college speech communication course, branching programmed instruction may provide a viable alternative to traditional methods for teaching the cognitive aspects of speech communication in the basic course.

Including a unit in conversation in the beginning speech course

Including a unit in conversation in the beginning speech course

“The black experience” in speech communication courses: A survey

This survey was designed to ascertain the extent and the nature of speech communication course offerings which indicate concern for “the black experience.” Analysis of course titles and course descriptions revealed regional and state variations in the availability of courses and in course content. The trend to offer a larger number of courses concerning “the black experience” is clearly visible, but is not as strong or as widespread as the authors anticipated.